Vanderbilt
Players to Watch: G John
Jenkins, 6-4 Jr. (20.1 ppg, 49.3% FG, 46.7% 3s); F Jeffery Taylor, 6-7
Sr. (17.4 ppg, 6 rpg, 51.8% FG); C Festus Ezeli, 6-11 Sr. (10.4 ppg, 5.3
rpg, 54.3% FG). Jenkins, who had 22 points in Tuesday’s 77-66 win over
Florida, leads the nation by making four 3-pointers by game. His 115 3s
is the fifth-most made in SEC history and his 44.9 career percent from
deep is second in SEC history. He leads the SEC in scoring at 20.1 per
game.

Storylines:
Vanderbilt has won five of its last seven with the only two losses
coming by a combined 15 points to No. 1 Kentucky. With a win, the
Commodores can do no worse than tied with Florida for second place in
the SEC. With Florida facing Kentucky on Saturday, there’s a very good
chance Vandy would finish with the No. 2 seed in the SEC tourney.
Tennessee is suddenly getting NCAA Tournament consideration – and
for good reason. The youthful Volunteers have won seven of their last
eight and are tied with Alabama for fourth in the league. Since adding
Jarnell Stokes, who is averaging nine points and seven rebounds,
Tennessee is 9-6. If other bubble teams around the country continue to
falter, a win over Vanderbilt might be too much for the selection
committee to overlook.

Keys:
Vanderbilt hit eight of its 18 3-point shots and held Tennessee to 35.3
percent from the field in a 65-47 victory on Jan. 24. Taylor scored 23
points and grabbed nine boards as the Commodores ran out to a 40-21
halftime lead. Stokes, who should still be a high school senior, had his
best games yet in Wednesday’s 74-69 overtime road win over LSU, going
9-for-10 with a career-high 18 points, seven rebounds, a pair of steals
and a block. Vanderbilt is the only team in the SEC with four
1,000-point scorers (Jenkins, Taylor, Ezeli and Brad Tinsley).
Vanderbilt is 19-3 against unranked opponents and has beaten 13 of the
last 14 it has faced. Vandy has swept Tennessee just 12 times during the
90-year history of the rivalry. Vandy leads the SEC in 3-point
percentage (40.2) and 3-pointers made (301). The Volunteers allow
opponents to shoot 34.5 percent from the 3-point line. Tennessee is
third in the SEC, hitting seven 3s per game. The Volunteers have won six
in a row at home. If not for a 3-point loss to No. 1 Kentucky, the
streak would be at 12. Vandy is 13-5 at home this season, but they have
won five of their last six and 10 of their last 12 at Memorial Gym.

The Bottom
Line:
Not saying Vandy can’t win in Knoxville against a large, hostile crowd
and a vastly improved Volunteer squad. This is a toss up. Vandy and
Tennessee a toss up? Crazy how things can chance from early in the
season to late in college basketball.